Saturated fiber web



May 27,1930. PIKE 1,760,606

SATURATED FI BER WEB Filed May 26, 1924 WIIIII/I/III/II/mllllll/I/IA mag/V700:

m Maw ATTO/WM'YS,

- which, during the process of forming the- Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEAL C. PIKE, OI BIl-AMON, ILOBIDA, ASSIGNOR TO THE'RIGHARDSON COMPANY, OF

. LOCKLAN D, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO SATUBA'IED FIBER WEB Application filed Kay 26,

-My invention relates to webs of felt or laminated paper board, which have been saturated with a plurality of coatings so as to be prepared for particular uses.

One of the primary objects of my invention is the production in one continuous operation of a suitable fiber web for use as a base for color printed floor covering.

At the present time floor coverings I are made by using an asphalt saturated felt, and giving it a base coating of some priming or neutral color, and when this has set, printing in colors .on the prime coat.

This requires a process, which the webs must be passed through in giving the primary coat, which is one of the items which go to make the color and pattern printing of floor coverings an expensive one. Furthermore the priming coat of solid coloris in the prior art, as taught for exam 1e b Prifold in his Patent #1,297,009, not keye into the fabric of the web but is imposed on the surface, since the material is filled with asphalt, which the pruning coat does not substantially penera e.

One of my objects is to provide a fiber web web, can be fully prepared with a coating on one side which is keyed into the fabric itself. My process of manufacture can be used with much advantage in giving the priming coat to one side thereof as an operation sep-' arate from the o eration of forming the web, and itcan also used with advantage in'a process which, in one series of successive operations, saturates the webwith asphalt and keys in a priming coat on the one side of the material.

- By the use of my preferred process, it has been found that webs-formed of super-imposed layers of short fibers, picked up by a multiple of cylinders can be saturated and given a keyed-.in priming coat. p As stated thepriming coat need not be imparted for color printing but maybe imparted for other purposes.

I accomplish my objects by that certain web forming process to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a diagram show- 1924. Serial No. 716,052.

ing my process in, its preferred embodiment. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of the material.

I have indicated at 1 a roll, which may be steam heated and forms one of the drying rolls in a felt or board mill. There will preferably be a series of such rolls, over which the Web passes with intermediate upper rolls 1. 2 indicates a heated roll under which the Web passes after it has been drawn around the rolls, such as rolls 1 and 1 3 indicates a trough for catching excess-material. 4 indicates a pipe for spraying a saturating coating on the web, on the side which is against the face ofroll l, and such other rolls like roll 1 as are used in the process.

This mechanism is used in my preferred process. The fiber web 5, which may be of the type known as felt, or may be made of wood fiber, with or without rag fiber, and

run on a multiple cylinder machine, will,

While still retaining a considerable quantity of moisture carried'over the felts and the couch rolls, be passed around a series of upper and lower rolls, of which but three are indicated in the diagram. An asphalt material, say at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, will be flowed onto the web from pipe 4, as indi cated at 6, where it impinges on the roll 1, with the result of forcing its way into the web, driving moisture and air ahead of it, and saturating the web from one side.

The process of saturating from one side and driving the moisture through to the other is carefully controlled to the end that the web, when this operation is finished, will be saturated all but the outer surface, i. e., the surface away from the rolls, and this outer surface left practically dry. At this point (which it will be assumed is after the Web leaves the roll 1) it passes under roll 2, Where there is laid on the-surface of the web on the unsaturated side, a quantity of the surface .priming material 8, through pipe 7 with a scraper 9 to remove any excess which is collected and deposit it in pan 3. The web being freshly made and not calendered, will. readily absorb the coating, which will penetrate the surface, and also coat the surface.

After webs have been permitted to stand for a while their surfaces become crusty,

and further the act of finishing the web to bone dryness, over a large number of rolls, as is the practice, will result in destroying the orosity of the web, and matting down the fibers, so that the web is not highly absorbent.

The priming coat 8, whether it be of a suitable material for a priming coat for color printing to make floor coverin s, or for any other purpose, and which may e of any well known priming coat material such, for example, as that suggested by Prifold in his patent to which reference has hereinbefore been made, is well keyed into the fabric, and does not merely coat the asphalt as in the case with a web which has been dipped in an as halt bath and thus has both of its surfaces fillbd with asphalt. Furthermore, there is but one handling of the web over successive rolls in the felt or board mill, thereby greatly economizing in labor. The amount of asphalt which will enter the web is very large, and seems to surround the indivldual fibers, giving extra good insulating and wearing properties, and the priming coat is well fastened into the web, due to the absorbent nature of the surface to which it is applied. In Figure 2, the web 5, where saturated is marked 4, and where having its primer is marked 8, the surfaces 4 and 8 will usually be formed ofa coating of the primer or saturant that stays on the surface.

My process is of advantage if the web is formed up with the one surface not fully filled with the asphalt, and is later given the priming coat, as better results and more priming can be imposed than by the processes used at present. My process is also excellent if the Web is permitted to become dry before the asphalt is applied, so long as the asphalt is applied to but one surface I have referred particularly to'asphalt as the body saturant, and to a priming coating for printing as the outer surface covering medium. This it will be understood is expressive of but one valuable kind of web, as other materials for the main saturant and the surface coverin can be used. Also it is not a necessity that t e wet process be used, or if it is used that the same be employed as part of the process of making the web on the felt or board mill, although the economy of this mode is apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A process of forming fiber webs which consists in filling the web from one side only with a saturant, said filling being controlled to leave the other surface substantially unfilled, and then applying a priming coat of desired character to the unfilled side.

2. A process of forming fiber webs which consists in passing the web when over a drylng roll, with a saturant in highly heated liquefied form applied to the one side of the web, to the extent of filling the web except for the other surface, and then passing the web around another roll, and there depositing on its surface a priming coat of desired material.

3. A process of coating fiber webs, which consists in impressing through one surface of the web an asphalt saturant which will provide both a surface coating and a portion penetrating partially through the web, and subsequently applying a priming coating to the other. surface 'of the web.

4. A fiber web for use as a floor covering, which consists of a fibrous web having a surface coating of asphaltic material. which penetrates substantially through the web, said web further having a priming coating forming a surface coating for the other. surface of the web which penetrates the web to a substantially lesser degree than the asphaltic material.

NEAL C. PIKE. 

